How to Pronounce “schism”

American (US)

/ˈsɪzəm/

British (UK)

/ˈsɪzəm/

noun — A split of a group into opposing factions.

Example: The disagreement over doctrine led to a lasting schism.

Synonyms: split, rift

Where the stress falls. “schism” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈsɪzəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈsɪzəm/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "schism" mean?

schism (noun): A split of a group into opposing factions. For example — The disagreement over doctrine led to a lasting schism.

How do you pronounce "schism" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "schism", /ˈsɪzəm/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "schism"?

/ˈsɪzəm/ in American English, /ˈsɪzəm/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "schism"?

“schism” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ˈsɪzəm/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.